Let’s talk about something unexpected: how philosophy—specifically Martin Heidegger’s ideas—can help us understand the media we use today. You’re probably wondering, what does an early 20th-century German philosopher have to do with digital documentaries or platforms like Netflix? Stick around, and you’ll see how Heidegger’s timeless concepts give us insight into the way stories are being told in our digital age.
Who is Martin Heidegger?
Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) was a groundbreaking philosopher who explored what it means to exist. In his famous book Being and Time (Sein und Zeit), he dives deep into the nature of human existence—what he calls “Dasein,” a German word roughly meaning “being there” or “being-in-the-world.” For Heidegger, humans aren’t static creatures; we exist by engaging with the world around us and projecting ourselves toward the future. In his view, we constantly “create ourselves” based on our possibilities—on what we can become.
And that’s where things get interesting when we think about media.
Meta-Media: The New Way Stories Evolve
In today’s digital world, media is no longer limited to just film, TV, or books. We’re in what scholars like Lev Manovich call the “meta-media” age, where text, images, videos, and sound are all integrated into interactive, ever-changing platforms. Think of YouTube videos with polls, Netflix shows with choose-your-own-adventure endings, or VR experiences where you shape the story.
Meta-media isn’t just about consuming content; it’s about participating in it. Just like Heidegger’s Dasein, the audience (that’s us!) doesn’t just “exist” within media—we actively shape it by making choices, interacting, and projecting our preferences. We’re no longer passive viewers; we’re collaborators, driving stories into new and unpredictable futures.
How Does Heidegger Fit Into This?
Heidegger’s idea that “Dasein creates itself from the future” perfectly aligns with the meta-media concept. For Heidegger, existence is defined by potential—what we choose to do, who we choose to be. In the same way, meta-media platforms like digital documentaries or interactive projects are shaped by potential outcomes. For example, in projects like National Geographic’s Mars, hybrid formats blur the line between fiction and reality, letting the audience engage and explore. Here, storytelling isn’t fixed; it’s projected into the future.
Think about it: when you watch a traditional documentary, you’re absorbing a story that’s already laid out for you. But with interactive platforms, you influence the narrative itself. Your choices and participation determine the direction, much like Heidegger’s Dasein determining its own path forward.
Why Does This Matter?
This shift matters because it fundamentally changes the way stories connect with us. Meta-media makes documentaries more personal, more dynamic, and more reflective of us—our choices, our preferences, and our futures. It also raises questions: How much creative freedom can we allow before a “documentary” stops being factual? Are we losing the “actuality” that defined documentaries in the past?
What’s certain is this: just as Heidegger believed that being is never static, storytelling in the meta-media age will keep evolving. The future of media belongs to the audiences—audiences who don’t just consume stories but actively create them.
So the next time you interact with a piece of digital media, whether it’s a VR tour, a transmedia documentary, or a Netflix experiment, ask yourself: How am I shaping this story? And what does it say about my future possibilities? Because, as Heidegger might remind us, we’re all creating meaning—and stories—by the choices we make.
Welcome to the future of storytelling.